Letter to the editor: Letter calling on MP to support 'environment protections' or risk collapse of West Sussex Local Nature Recovery Service, an ecological emergency and parishioners' revolt

Dear Peter Lamb MP As one of your constituents, I am calling on you to support Environmental Protections or risk the collapse of the West Sussex Local Nature Recovery Strategy [LNRS], an Ecological Emergency and a Parishioners’ Revolt. The West Sussex Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) presents a rare and timely opportunity for parties to work together on a project of lasting environmental, ecological and cultural value. The Ifield Society is therefore calling for a Joint Area Action Plan (JAAP) between West Sussex County Council, Crawley Borough Council, Horsham District Council and Gatwick Airport Limited to deliver a unified vision: Ifield Park & Nature Reserve. This proposed Park would protect and enhance the moated Ifield Court Farm Scheduled Monument and its surrounding landscape at the geographical heart of the ancient Parish of Ifield. It would also connect existing green assets across the Upper Mole Valley corridor—Ifield Brook Meadows, Ifield Mill Pond, Willoughby Fields LNR, ancient woodland, hedgerows, and river habitats—into a coherent, managed, biodiverse whole. A JAAP, grounded in the LNRS framework, would allow all four authorities and key partners to plan jointly for ecological recovery, heritage safeguarding, public access, biodiversity net gain, and long-term stewardship. It would replace fragmented approaches with a shared strategy, ensuring that nature restoration and heritage conservation are embedded at the centre of regional planning. At a moment of ecological crisis, and with development pressures intensifying, this is the moment for leadership. A formally adopted Ifield Park & Nature Reserve would be a gift to future generations and a practical demonstration of how West Sussex can meet its legal, environmental and historical responsibilitie Richard W. Symonds MCIPD The Ifield Society Ifield Street, Ifield Village Crawley, West Sussex